Risking for Love
by Puurr
Summary: When Aragorn and Legolas come back to Rivendell with the Prince close to death, Aragorn is left to tell Elrond the story. :NonSlash: Contest Winner :See inside:


Title  : Risking for Love

By: Kakura-Sensei 

Summary: When Aragorn and Legolas come back to Rivendell with the Prince close to death, leaving Aragorn to tell the story to Elrond.

Rating: Let's say PG-13 to R just for safety. Not much blood. Not like my usual stories.

Warnings: Some mentions of torture, angst, and some blood.

Disclaimer: I do not own LOTR or any of the characters within the book.

Author's note: Quick note. This was for the Mellon Chronicles January 2004 _What's the Story_ Contest. It was one of eight winning stories. Actually, looking back and seeing what I wrote, I am surprised that I still like it! For a story I wrote so long ago, it seems so much better than some other ones. Oh well. I am trying to get back to the habit of updating stories, so if you are still interested in reading, come on in and join the fun.

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As years go by  
I race the clock with you  
But if you died right now  
You know that I'd die to  
I'd die too...

Rivendell was in an uproar when Aragorn, son of Arathorn, and Legolas, Prince of Mirkwood, came galloping in with the twins, yelling that a band of orcs were near. The human suffered little, the worst wound being a broken rib, but the Prince didn't get away so lucky. Elrond thought him dead when they first arrived.

"Quickly, take the Prince to his room and get my supplies. Let us pray to the Valar that they allow us to keep him here." Elrond spoke firmly, but gently. He could see the heartbreak, fear, and guilt in Aragorn's eyes. He also didn't need his foresight to know that if the Mirkwood Prince died his youngest would follow soon after. "Come, let us see to Legolas."

Not once did Aragorn release his hold on his friend. He knew that the life in the Elven body was slowly dimming; he could see it in the fading glow. When he laid his friend's limp body on the bed he continued to hold onto the usually strong hand and whisper word of strength and complete nonsense in Elvish. 'Everything that happened is my fault,' he told himself over and over. 'This should be me and not Legolas.'

Knowing his youngest son wouldn't move even if asked, Elrond began to treat Legolas's wounds. The worst he saw was the stab wound that was clearly infected by either infection or poison, but he worried about the wounds he couldn't see like internal bleeding. Without looking up, the Elven Lord began to look for the reason why the young Prince was once again on the edge of death. "Tell me what happen, ionnin."

Aragorn looked at Legolas's pale face and brushed a piece of hair back from the sweaty forehead. It took him a while before he could answer his foster father but when he did he couldn't hide the quiver in his voice. "When I coming back from the North I meet Legolas on the road and we traveled together, laughing at the meeting saying that the other planned it that way. Three nights away from here we were ambushed and I received a broken rib during the fight. Nothing serious since the orcs wanted us alive; for what purpose, I do not know. They took us to a cave and kept watch over us until the captain came up to us and ask which one wanted to die first.

"These orcs were the strangest that I have ever met, but carry the same filth. I told them I would, but Legolas would have nothing to do with that and pushed me back as he went forward. I can still hear the echoing of the cell door when it closed…"

Aragorn stared up at his friend's retreating form until he was able to bite down the shock and run forward. The door slammed shut just as he got there causing the loudest echo imaginable. It sounded like the death of a great empire when the last stone fell or when an arrow would strike the flesh of its target. It scared the ranger and haunted his dreams for many weeks after.

"_No...Legolas! Legolas, don't do this! You stubborn Elf don't do this!" Gasping, he turned and leaned against the wall trying to figure out how they got into this mess when the anger and fear he felt rushed together. He slammed his fist against the wall, bitter desperation eating at his heart. He couldn't believe this was happening. He couldn't believe his friend was taking the fall for him like this... not when they all knew what it would cost. "Legolas, why did you do that? Why?" His only answer was the silent cell and his ragged breathing._

"He went when I should have. Elves are not suppose to feel the touch of death no matter how old they are, but Legolas is too good and too young!"

"Hush, Estel. Have faith in Legolas that he will fight this with his own inner strength. Now tell me more about what happen. How did you escape?" Elrond asked while wrapping the Legolas's midsection.

"I am not sure how long it was, but after sometime I heard Legolas scream. From that one scream I could tell that he was is great pain."

"_Legolas! Let me out of this prison you creature of Mordor! Let me out!" Pounding hard on the door, Aragorn almost missed the sounds of different kinds of screams. Ones from the orcs instead of his friend. 'What is happening out there?'_

_A loud thump against the cell door made the ranger back up until the back of his knees bumped against the cot, the only piece of furniture in the cell. Everything went silent until the door opened and Aragorn couldn't help but gasp at the sight. _

_Legolas stood there with his bow in his hand and quiver on his back and clad only in his leggings and shirt. The tunic was no where to be found since the orcs had basically torn it off the Elf's body. But that was not what the ranger had gasped at; no, it was the amount of blood the Elf had on him that shocked and scared the human._

"_Aragorn…we must get out of here, before more orcs show up," Legolas whispered. His eyes were already trying to close and fall into the slumber the Elf knew he might not wake up from. He had already lost a great amount of blood during the torture the orcs put him through, but he pushed back any hint of rest until he knew his friend was safe. "Hurry, they will not be put off for long."_

"_Legolas…" The ranger rushed forward and placed an arm around the Elf's slender waist. "Why did you do this?"_

"_Better to see that Middle Earth's future still had a light shining in the darkness than without any at all." The Elf's response was merely a breath of air, but Aragorn heard him clearly. Quickly, he helped his friend through the maze of tunnels and hid them both when orcs passed close by them. He didn't let go of his friend through that hold time even when they came to the entrance and stumbled out into the fresh air._

"_Smell, Legolas. Breathe in the air and notice the difference," Aragorn whispered, choking back a sob that threatened to bring tears. The Elf was already growing pale and more blood continued to stain the clothes. A crimson color was already covering the sides of the Elf's mouth and the insides of his nostrils, too, meaning the Elf most likely had internal bleeding._

"_Hold on Legolas. Hold on until I can get you to my father. Just don't leave me here to face this world alone." Carefully, but quickly, Aragorn half carried, half dragged the nearly unconscious Elf away from the orcs' cave and towards the direction of Rivendell. _

_At sun down, the ranger laid Legolas down on the ground and sat down beside him. The Elf had lost consciousness earlier and that worried the man greatly. It was not an everyday event when the strong Elf would lose the battle of conscious, so the ranger reasoned that there was something amiss with the wounds the Elf took on._

_Aragorn bent closer towards the Elf and gently lifted the blood stained shirt up to reveal a nasty looking stab wound. Black lines crept from the wound, but the blood was the usual color blood should be, which confused the ranger._

_Taking a chance, he left Legolas's side to look around the area for some athelas. Luck seemed to be with them when Aragorn found a patch of athelas growing nearby. He quickly put a few leaves in his mouth and rushed back to Legolas's side, putting the green plant on the wound. With that done, the ranger went to work trying to stop the bleed and any infection._

_All that night Aragorn worked on keeping his friend alive. Never sleeping throughout the whole night for fear the orcs would find them again and fear that his friend would leave during the night._

"Elladan and Elrohir found us later the next day. Thankfully the orcs had brought us closer to Rivendell or else I fear Legolas would have already been dead when we got here." Aragorn finally looked up at his father caring not about the tears that continued to flow down his dirty face. "Will he make it?"

"If he is still alive in the morning than I say that he will be just fine, but I want to bind your chest first before you go to sleep. If you want, I can bind it now and let you stay here if you promise to get some rest." The only response Elrond got was a nod, and that was all he was expecting.

When Elrond was left, Aragorn looked down at his friend once more, reassuring himself that he was still breathing, before he settled into a large, feather-stuffed chair that sat next to the bed and finally allowed his body to fall into a deep healing sleep.

You remind me of the times  
When I knew who I was  
But still the second hand will catch us  
Like it always does

Morning called at the sun's rising, but still Aragorn did not open his eyes for fear of one thing: to see his friend sleep the death's sleep. He had woken just before the sun did and at that point it was still too dark to see if Legolas was still breathing or not, but now, if he opened his eyes he would know for sure.

For most part he called himself a coward for being afraid of the coming morning, but that deep fear was eating at him, never letting go, never wanting to let go. It was preparing him for the worst. 'Just open your eyes and you will see that your fears are nothing to worry about,' he told himself over and over. At the sound of his brothers getting chased by Arwen, Aragorn finally dared to open his eyes. If his siblings were laughing than nothing could be wrong with Legolas.

Slowly, the ranger opened his eyes and looked at the figure on the bed only to meet piercing blue eyes and a wide smile.

"It is good to finally see you up, mellonnin," Legolas laughed slightly.

"Legolas, thank the Valar your awake. Father said that you would be just fine if you woke by morning."

"Did he now? I think a glass of water would help me feel fine, if that's all right with you?" Legolas raised an elegant eyebrow towards his friend and carefully sat up when a glass of water was presented to him. "Hannon le."

As Legolas quietly sipped his water, a silence came over them that was neither comfortable nor uncomfortable. Legolas wasn't sorry for what had happened during their capture, but the pain was going to keep him from doing too much for awhile. But Aragorn _was_ sorry for what happened. Once again Legolas had risked his life for the heir of Gondor and almost died in the process. Was his whole life going to be like that? Everyone risking their own lives for him.

"Aragorn," Legolas said, almost knowing what his friend was thinking. "I did not risk my life just to save the heir to the throne of Gondor. I risked my life to save a dear friend of mine who has risked his own life for me many times. What I did makes me not ashamed, but proud because I was willing to put my own life over those who I love most." Frowning, the Prince looked down at the glass and smiled a bit. "I might have also did what I did because I didn't want a certain Elven Lord and his children mad at me and banish me from Rivendell."

"I knew it," Aragorn cried, laughing as he did. "But no matter what reason why, mellonnin, hannon le. Hannon le."

We'll make the same mistakes  
I'll take the fall for you  
I hope you need this now  
'Cause I know I still do.

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Hannon le: _Thank you_

Mellonnin: _My friend_

Ionnin: _My son_

Song: _"Until The Day I Die" by Story Of The Year_

**The End**


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